Kung Pow!: Enter the Fist - PG-13\nStarring: Steve Oedekerk\nDirected by: Steve Oedekerk\nShowing: Showplace West 12\nIt would seem appropriate to feel somewhat relunctant, or perhaps even frightened, about the prospects of seeing a movie whose selling point in previews is "from the director of 'Ace Ventura 2'."\nTrust your instincts. Sure enough, director/writer/producer/star Steve Oedekerk provides us with 90 minutes that we will want back on our deathbeds.\nFor a mindless comedy, "Kung Pow" starts off rather darkly with the entire family of The Chosen One (a digitized baby) getting murdered by the nefarious Master Pain (Lung Fai). The baby gets medieval with Master Pain, but is tossed down a hill and left to rot.\nThe next time The Chosen One is seen, he's grown into a man (Oedekerk). In the next five minutes or so, we learn some humorous details about his life up until then, such as the fact that he was raised by "various rodents," and we have to sit through some ridiculous dubbing.\nThe film then goes into what I think was meant to be its main plot -- The Chosen One's quest to beat Master Pain. How do we know he is "The Chosen One"? Because he has a face on his tongue, of course. This is supposed to be funny. I'll have to check with some local third-graders to see if it is or not.\nAn interesting concept used in the movie is the taking of scenes from the 1974 chopsocky flick "Tiger & Crane Fists," and digitally placing Oedekerk into the scenes, which are re-dubbed for comic effect. This might have worked if any of the punch lines actually landed.\nIt is hard to find words to describe the sheer vapidity of the movie. For instance, Master Pain has his name changed to Betty in the middle of the movie -- for no other reason than to make the extremely weak joke that his name is now "Master Betty." (Get it? It's a play on "masturbation." Heh heh, cool Beavis.)\nIn fact, the only funny joke in the movie after the somewhat inspired beginning occurs when we learn that the Evil Council that Betty works for is a group of Frenchmen. Oh wait, I wasn't supposed to give away the ending. Well, never mind. You'll thank me when you're on your deathbed.\n
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